On the Edge
by Valoja
Summary: A woman stands on the line between life and death, and she has chosen to cross it. Will the other side call her back before it's too late?


Between the gusts of wind, the sounds of the city below floated up into the air. Cars, buses and taxis, trams and trains, lorries and motor cycles. Bicycles, roller skates and skateboards. Soles of shoes, sandals, and heels clacking against the pavement in different tempos, some strolling, others rushing. Voices, laughter and shouts. Whispers, giggles and mutters. Kisses, holding hands, hugs. Struggles, fights, death.

She heard it all.

The lights of the city were beautiful on this particular night. Red, green, blue and yellow, mingling with each other yet always remaining recognisably different. Running through the streets, some disappearing and others appearing in their stead. Some blinking, others twinkling, and others again as steady as a lighthouse at sea. Restless, vibrant and alive.

Everything she was not.

From up here, she could see it all. Hear it all. Comprehend it all. And still she felt strangely empty. Where before every laugh and every caress had felt like a stab to her heart, she now no longer cared. Where before every yell and every slap had filled her with pity, she now witnessed such atrocities with blank eyes.

She had never received compassion, so why should she give it in return? Humans knew that the price for life was pain, death.

Even with those thoughts crossing her mind, she did not feel the contempt like she usually did. Everything had bothered her, and she had ground her teeth together, clenching her jaw as she suffered through it. But now, now she was but a shell of her former self, beyond nurturing these emotions any longer.

She took a deep breath, noting the smell of smog that made her nose scrunch up. Humans were disgusting creatures, deserving of whatever fate they might meet farther down the road. Were they to fail through the consequences of their own failure, then that would make it all the sweeter.

Or so she once might have thought. Now all that remained was a shadow of the girl from the past, who could no longer produce the energy to think such things with vigour. A habit from older, better days, perhaps. It did not matter; it would all come to an end sooner or later.

Preferably as soon as possible.

She contemplated the chance of _him_ appearing. He knew all, heard all, saw all, or so the masses claimed. Saved all in need of saving. That thought almost made her scoff, a spark of anger from former days appearing deep inside of her before the void she had become extinguished it. Had they spoken truly, he would have appeared before her a long time ago.

Now, however, was too late.

The wind grasped at strands of her hair, whipped her in the face, clawed at her skin with invisible nails. It tugged at her jacket, pulling her towards the edge, egging her on.

 _Just jump,_ it seemed to whisper.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head backwards, the pretty lights down below disappearing. The wind's murmured encouragements drowned out the noises of the city's life, and for a single moment, in this moment of quiet and peace, sadness filled her.

Why couldn't she always feel this tranquillity?

But it did not matter. Not anymore.

And so she stepped forward.

As she fell, memories from the past few years flitted through her mind. Images of final moments and farewells filled her head. Anger, anguish and aloneness. Forsaken and forgotten.

Love, laughter, living like it might be their last day. Skin against skin, hands in hands, arms in arms. Memories made before it all came to an end, minutes shared with everyone together once more.

What? Why? Why now?

Suddenly, the wind seemed to be tugging at her from above, trying to slow down her descent.

 _Don't go,_ it whispered.

Tears welled up in her eyes as forgotten reminiscences replaced the emptiness within, feelings from before returning with force. Everything hurt and she wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to retain whatever warmth she had found once more.

The price for life was pain, death. But somehow she had forgotten to _live_.

She opened her mouth, wanted to cry out _his_ name. He knew all, heard all, saw all. Saved all in need of saving. She needed saving, had needed it for so long, but she had never voiced it. Had forgotten, hadn't believed.

Most of all, she needed saving _now_.

"He–"

The pavement, an old, familiar friend, rose to greet her.

Had the tapestry of the night sky always held so many stars in its embrace? Why had she never thought to lift her head before?

Why hadn't he come to save her?

And then the darkness smothered her.

* * *

 **[A/N]:** this is kind of my way to complain about the stereotype "save me Supes" scenario which almost every Superman x OC fic out there has. Please let me know if you liked it! I tried to write it in an almost poetic manner and I wonder if I managed to succeed.


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